By Anthony Rifilato
It was last February 14 - a frigid Valentine's Day - and there were about 300 students in the cafeteria during lunchtime.
"That was the day we had a bad ice storm," said Mercado, who is also a junior varsity football coach and varsity track and field coach.
It was noon, and as a teacher in charge of monitoring lunch at Meadow, Mercado said he figured it would just be another typical day. He never thought that he and two nurses at the school would quickly turn into heroes in a matter of minutes.
One of the custodians, Sadrettin Akgun, a 63-year-old Turkish immigrant, was discovered lying on the ground nearby and was unresponsive.
"One of the janitors came over and said he had fallen," Mercado said. "I obviously said 'Go get the nurse,' and I saw Mr. Akgun lying on the floor."
For Mercado and many others, it became a life or death situation, when Akgun went into cardiac arrest after shoveling snow and ice, and as he was trying to repair a small leak near the stage.
"He fell down the stairs into the cafeteria," Mercado said. "At first, I thought he had fallen and passed out."
But Mercado quickly realized the situation was serious. He leaped into action, along with nurses Edwina Cooke and Annette Pfundstein-Andersen, who, by using an automated external defibrillator (AED) - a device that monitors cardiac activity and administers electric shock to the heart to restore its natural rhythm - were able to save Akgun's life.
Last week, the three quick-thinking employees received the highest awards presented by the American Red Cross, and were praised during a ceremony on Nov. 9 at Meadow School for their heroic actions. Mercado received the Lifesaving Certificate of Merit - the highest honor presented by the Red Cross - which bears the signature of President George W. Bush. Cooke and Pfundstein-Andersen received the Lifesaving Award for a Professional Responder, and all were lauded for saving Akgun's life.
"It's never anyone's hope to be involved in anything like that, but once it happens, all of your training kicks in," said Andersen.
AEDs save lives
In 2002, New York State enacted legislation that required public schools to provide and maintain AED equipment in its buildings. It also requires that school sponsored activities, like sporting events, have at least one staff person trained to use the device.
The move to require schools across the state to have AEDs gained momentum after Louis Acompora, a 14-year-old Northport High School student, died during a lacrosse game in 2000. He had received a blunt impact to the chest, which led to cardiac arrest. His death could have been prevented, his mother Karen and many others said, if an AED device had been present.
"Saving the life of a fellow human being is the greatest gift we can give, " Karen Acompora told the Herald earlier this year. After her son's death, she founded the Louis Acompora Memorial Foundation, which is dedicated to the education and implementation of AED programs in schools.
"The efforts of the Baldwin school district and those who participated in the save are extraordinary," Acompora said. "We are so proud of the legacy Louis has left, the work of the foundation and those who believe in our mission. AEDs save lives."
Because Mercado, Cooke and Andersen received CPR/AED training through the American Red Cross, they were nominated for their lifesaving efforts by Dr. Arleene Asti, an employee of the district, who is also a Red Cross instructor.
All three were on hand during the ceremony, attended by about 100 people ranging from local officials to students. Akgun, who has since returned to his job, was also on hand to thank the trio.
"It was truly an honor to recognize these quick-thinking individuals for their heroic action," said Sam Kille, director of public relations of the Red Cross in Nassau County. "Seeing Mr. Akgun alive and well and back at work, is a testament to the importance of knowing lifesaving skills like CPR and using an AED."
A life saving trio
Andersen, a registered nurse, said she receives training regularly, as does Mercado, who said that medical kits with AEDs are on hand at all sporting events.
Despite their training, both recalled the urgency of the situation that day. When he saw Akgun on the ground, Mercado called 911 and retrieved the AED kit. Akgun was lying on his stomach, in a pool of water - stemming from the leak he was trying to repair - and the situation posed some tough challenges, Andersen said, since moving him and administering the machine could be risky under the circumstances.
"He had a heart attack," Andersen said. "We had to turn him and get him out of the water. We dried him off. We were all wet, but we had to shock him. You can't use the machine in a wet environment, and can't use it when he's lying on his stomach."
Mercado used the machine to shock Akgun's heart, after the nurses first administered CPR.
"He was blue, and you could tell he wasn't getting oxygen - and there was no pulse," Mercado said. "After the shock, they were able to see that he had a pulse and could start to see some of the color come back to him. Then EMS arrived. You definitely feel relieved for him and his family. It's a sense of relief that you didn't witness someone die."
Although they said they appreciate the accolades, Mercado and Andersen said that they don't consider themselves heroes, and that being well trained resulted in a "well-orchestrated" response.
"We were able to talk a bit when he got better," Mercado said. "He and his family were very grateful. It was great to see him back, and the family was so grateful, it's almost embarrassing to a point. I feel I didn't do that much, but proud that I could help somebody out."
